MURRIETA: Two dead in plane crash

The amateur-built aircraft came in nose first, witnesses say

By JOHN HALL - Staff Writer | Friday, May 30, 2008 8:12 PM PDT ∞

Two men died in a plane crash in a field northwest of French Valley Airport early Friday afternoon. The crash happened just after 11:45 a.m. near Winchester and Benton roads. (Photo by Steve Thornton - Staff Photographer)
David Borel of Temecula was a eyewitness to the plane crash Friday. The crash, about a mile northwest of French Valley Airport, left two men dead. (Photo by Steve Thornton - Staff Photographer)
Passers-by watch emergency workers at the scene of Friday's plane crash. (Photo by Steve Thornton - Staff Photographer)
Two men were killed in a plane crash in a field northwest of the French Valley Airport early Friday afternoon. The crash happened just after 11:45 a.m. near Winchester and Benton roads. (Photo by Steve Thornton - Staff Photographer)

MURRIETA ---- Two people died Friday when the homemade aircraft they were in slammed nose-first into a field about a mile northwest of French Valley Airport.

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The mangled remnants of the Lancair Legacy two-seat aircraft could be seen from busy Winchester Road, just north of Benton Road.

The names of the two people who died in the 11:50 a.m. crash had not been released late Friday. Murrieta Police Chief Mark Wright said it appears both were men, one possibly in his 60s and the other in his 40s.

According to FAA records, the aircraft is registered to Leroy Poulin of Carson.

Wright said police are looking into reports that the pilot had landed at French Valley to meet someone for lunch in the area, then took off again.

The chief said the pilot may not have known how much fuel he had on board when he took off and may have been circling back to return to the airport.

An FAA investigator at the scene said Friday afternoon that the plane was descending toward the airport when it went down.

David Borel, 44, of Temecula was one of several witnesses who saw the plane fall from the sky.

He was tending to the vineyards outside the nearby Temecula Valley Moose Lodge when he said the revving of the plane's engine caught his attention.

"It looked like it was landing, then it just up and rolled and nose-dived," Borel said. "Then I heard a thud.

"I hoped they were OK, but I didn't know," he said.

The plane disappeared on the other side of a patch of large trees, Borel said, so he couldn't see what had happened until he ran over to the area.

"There wasn't anything I could do," said a still-shaken Borel.

Nathan Abeel, 25, was working outside in a housing development about a half-mile north of the crash when the plane got his attention.

"I see so many airplanes flying over here, I didn't think much about it until I saw that it was upside down," he said.

Abeel said he thought the pilot might be doing a barrel roll, but instead the aircraft just plunged nose first toward the ground.

Abeel estimates the craft was about 200 feet above the ground when it began to fall. He said he could still hear the plane's engine until it hit the ground.

Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the FAA's Western-Pacific region office, said officials have yet to determine where the pilot initially took off from or where the plane was headed.

As is the case typically in areas like French Valley Airport, "pilots are flying in uncontrolled air space," Gregor said.

"The pilot wasn't talking to a controller," he said.

About four hours after the crash, a Riverside County deputy coroner was at the site to begin the process of identifying the two victims.

A flatbed tow truck also was there to haul away what was left of the aircraft so the FAA could continue its investigation.

FAA Aviation Safety Investigator John Schaper, who spent several hours sifting through the wreckage, said although there did not appear to be any fuel on board the plane at the time of the crash, he could not rule out mechanical difficulties as the cause.

"Next week we will disassemble the engine and that will help us determine the cause," he said.

In the last five years, there have been 11 crashes at or near French Valley Airport, but this is the only one that has resulted in a death, according to the National Transportation Safety Board Web site.

According to the Lancair Web site, the Legacy is a single-engine craft that is 22 feet long with a wingspan of 25 1/2 feet and is constructed of advanced composite materials, such as carbon fiber and fiberglass.

The Legacy, with a "fastbuild kit" costs an estimated $64,900 to build with a "finished plane estimate" of $180,000 to $280,000, the Web site states.

Staff writer John Hunneman contributed to this report. Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or jhall@californian.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

drove by wrote on May 30, 2008 1:27 PM:Winchester Rd. is open both ways - emergency vehicles are in the shoulder. Only rubberneckers causing traffice delays.

Rhianna wrote on May 30, 2008 1:53 PM:Wow I was there at 11:00 at the air port I love that place, my daughter goes there with me to watch the helicopters and air planes. I will pray for the family and friends of the victums. May God show you the path.

Resident wrote on May 30, 2008 2:31 PM:I live right by there...wasn't home when it happened. Thoughts and prayers are with the family of those involved.

Jared wrote on May 30, 2008 4:06 PM:I live near there, didn't even hear it. One lane of Winchester is closed southbound, and of course the one that is always closed northbound

Pieter wrote on May 30, 2008 4:41 PM:We went thru this exercise a few weeks ago and I maintain: the airport needs to go. It's just a matter of waiting before one crashes into a house or a local business (how about VONS at 5 pm). I am not praying for the dead, but for us on the ground to stay alive.

Moe wrote on May 30, 2008 5:28 PM:I pray for the dead and their families. It is really sad. By the way Pieter, you made your point, but it does hurt to show some sympathy.

God Bless us all

To Pieter wrote on May 30, 2008 5:42 PM:The Airport was there LONG before the homes, Vons, etc, etc. - If you don't like the noise or potential danger - you should not have moved there.

Matthew wrote on May 30, 2008 7:33 PM:I find it sooo typical, move the airport, it's now in my way. Beacause it was there first, you cannot afford a house in the city limits, so you sprawled and now there is danger lurking so it should be moved because you are its newest neighbor. Why don't you go back to Anaheim. Listen, if you live under the sky an airplane can kill you. Highly unlikely, but so is the fact that an airport will be moved because Von's is near it. If you think getting carrots at Von;s is dangerous, then grow your own, Von's in nonunion anyway so who in their right mind would shop there. Plus it's not 2000percent organic to boot. Maybe you are worried the ocen may come onshore and flood you house, why not move higher in elevation. Better yet move to Denver, then you can say it snows too much and "They" need to plow more, because you cannot drive. Then when you cannot drive blame Toyota, since they make a car from a country with no snow, and then blame God for not making it snow in Japan, then blame Peter form not opening tha gates and saying "Come on in, I know you're "Special". We like you're kind. You should be allowe dto vote.

Norm wrote on May 30, 2008 7:34 PM:Too bad, I fly out of there to my private strip in Apple Valley all the time.

To Pieter wrote on May 30, 2008 7:49 PM:Your sensitivity (or enormous lack the of) describes your character precisely. No one climbs into an airplane intending on it being their last flight. One fact you obviously missed, the pilot deliberately avoided causing any harm to some one on the ground by how and where he landed.

To Matthew wrote on May 30, 2008 8:01 PM:You are so right on. LOL

To Pieter: I wondered how long it would take for someone to say "The airport has to go". I say, the airport was there first, YOU have to go. By the way when you moved to French Valley, I am sure the builder or realtor that sold the house to you also informed you of the airport. At that point it was your decision. I know this because when I moved to Murrieta in 1990 there was a little airstrip on Los Alamos and I was informed in writing of it's presence. My decision then as to buy or not to buy in that location. I bought and enjoyed seeing those planes. Now the strip is gone and we have high a density apartment complex. Rather have the airstrip.

julie wrote on May 30, 2008 8:48 PM:wow...that was my family who died out there. im sorry to cause any of you harm...thanks for all the prayers.

To Julie wrote on May 30, 2008 9:27 PM:I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers. Please ignore the ignorance of some of these people. Your family caused no one any harm. Again, may God bless you and keep you stron.

Pieter wrote on May 31, 2008 6:06 AM:I was indeed informed about the airport and din't mind it. Still safer than gang-infested Escondido. At the time it was a small airport, used by professionals who knew what they were (are) doing. By Jove, this guy [allegedly] took off without knowing how much fuel he was carrying with him, so no I don't feel sorry for him. There is no room for amateurs like that at FV. If the airport, and it's their responsibility, does not have the common sense to keep such clowns off the runway, it has no place in a populated area, you would have to ask every soul in the Murrietta/Temecula/Winchester area to leave; he could have dropped down in Red Hawk. If FV Airport cannot maintain its safety record, yes, it needs to go. Try to sell a house in an area where planes drop out of the sky like dead flies. Denver does sound nice, I love snow.

to Pieter wrote on May 31, 2008 7:24 AM:... My prayers go to the families and friends.People who fly have a passion for life.

Denver wrote on May 31, 2008 7:58 AM:To Matthew: I am glad you have so much money you can live "in the city". After all you "nimbys" in Temecula were too good for the airport so you had it moved to French Valley. Things do change over time and we need to protect people from these [allegedly] reckless pilots. What kind of idiot goes up in a home built airplane??? By the way, I love Vons and shop there all the time. I only hope they are non-union because unions are a big part of the problem in this country. I also was born and raised in Denver. Please stay away as we do not want your kind moving there!!!

to pieter wrote on May 31, 2008 8:44 AM:BYE BYE enjoy the snow did you know that Denver has an airport also?

Facts Solutions wrote on May 31, 2008 8:57 AM:The airport was not moved to French Valley because the people of Temecula did not want it.

French Valley Airport is it's own airport, not that of Temecula.

It was built however after the closing of the Temecula Airport, the closing was because of the poor location causing actidents, due to cross winds.

The airport in Temecula was parallel to and on the west side of Diaz Rd, against the mountians there.

French Valley is one of the largest small aircraft airports in the country.

For the amount of landings and take offs the amount of accidents are miniscule.

Rather than propose that the airport be closed, the residents may consider asking the Federal Avation Admisitration..."What's it going to take to get a control tower out there?"

Our prayers are with you Julie.

This is so insane wrote on May 31, 2008 9:11 AM:Weren't the Wright brothers idiots in a homebuilt airplane? Denver, your town is not exactly paradise.

EthnicAccountant wrote on May 31, 2008 10:42 AM:More accidents happen far away from airports. Most pilots are intelligent enough to avoid homes if they run into danger. You moved into an area near an airport, you have as much of my sympathy as those people who live in Point Loma or Downtown San Diego in the San Diego International Airport flight path. None.

Terence wrote on May 31, 2008 5:31 PM:I am one of the unfortunate few who actually witnessed the crash. I work near by, and saw as the aircraft ptched over and dove into the ground. No matter where any of you stand on the airport's location, avaiation is still much safer than driving our congested roads. My thoughts and prayers go out to the men who lost thier lives.

friend of the Pilot wrote on Jun 2, 2008 11:04 AM:I love how you people think you know who these pilots were and can make assinine opinions of them by calling them idiots for going up into a home built plane, or an idiot just because one newspaper reports that they "MAY" have gone out without any gas. You don't know these men or know that they are engineers and have been in the aeronautical field for many years. You automatically assume everything you read. Have some fricken compassion for them and for their families.

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